text: Host Michel Martin speaks with Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreras, the  hosts of NPR Music's Alt.Latino podcast about the Latin Grammys. MICHEL MARTIN, host: And in tribute to Hispanic Heritage Month, we decided to focus on one of the things that sustains the culture no matter the nationality: music. Yesterday, nominees for this year's Latin Grammy awards were announced. Winners will be announced at the awards program November 10th in Las Vegas, but joining us to talk about some of the exciting nominations are Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreras; they are co-hosts of NPR Music's ALT-LATINO. That's an online program about Latin alternative music. Welcome back to you both. Thanks so much for joining us.  FELIX CONTRERAS: Thanks for having us.  JASMINE GARSD: So excited to be here.  MARTIN: So Jasmine, tell us about what are some of the nominations that are causing the most buzz?  GARSD: Well, definitely we have to talk about Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13. They have a record-breaking 10 nominations for their album "Entren Los Que Quieran." And Michel, I just want to play a song for you. This is   MARTIN: Just for me.  GARSD: Yes, this is "Latinoamerica."  MARTIN: Okay here it is. Let's hear it.  (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LATINOAMERICA")  CALLE 13: (Singing in foreign language)  MARTIN: So this song was nominated for song of the year and they also were nominated for best urban music album. But what is it that - what do you think - first you've got to help me translate. Translate. What are they talking about and then tell us what are you - what is that the industry's so excited about?  GARSD: It's a beautiful ode to Latin America and featuring-  one of the things I love about Calle 13 is they work a lot with legendary artists and just - the hook that you're hearing is sung by Colombian folk singer Toto La Momposina. She's a legendary Colombian songstress, and this album was just fantastic. I mean, I really like reggaeton, and I like Latin rap a lot.  Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff that's coming out is, eh. The Calle 13 just makes it worth giving Latin rap a chance. Their lyrics are intelligent and raunchy and funny and good. They're just good. The music that they hook with is really awesome, and they have so much passion. And this album was very passionate. A lot of it reads like an ode to Latin America.  MARTIN: Just - could you just translate a little bit?  GARSD: Sure. They're just talking about, you know, who they are, you know, I am the backbone of Latin America. You know, for example, they say, I am the face of somebody who has disappeared. So they just go through all of what - every single Latin experience, and the put it in a...  MARTIN: A lot of history...  GARSD: Yeah.  MARTIN: ...was actually woven through very poetically. OK. Felix, anything surprising this time around? Any head-scratchers?  CONTRERAS: Well, those guys were surprising in the sense that they won a record-setting 10 nominations for that album and a number of singles that came out of it. Like Jasmine says, they're both profound and profane, and there's a lesson to be learned, I think, from other musicians who go the profane way to balance it.  So that was - to me, that was surprising, that the industry was giving them that kind of recognition. Another thing that was interesting to me was in the best tango category, there was a flamenco singer nominated. And it's interesting, because it's a cross-genre type thing. It's as if John Legend made a blue grass album and killed.   (SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)  MARTIN: OK. Well, can we have some? Can you play a little bit for us?  CONTRERAS: Yeah. We're going to play a thing called...  GARSD: "El Dia Que Me Quieras."   CONTRERAS: That one.   (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "EL DIA QUE ME QUIERAS")  DIEGO EL CIGALA: (Singing in Spanish)   MARTIN: And this is...  CONTRERAS: Diego El Cigala.  MARTIN: This is beautiful. Why is this surprising?  CONTRERAS: Because it's - flamenco is a very insular kind of music. There are very strong characteristics that make a great flamenco singer, and Cigala is considered one of the greatest. He's of a younger generation, so he's considered an up-and-coming master. And to use those things that he does in flamenco, some of the vocal trills, some of those traditions that go back hundreds of years, and to superimpose them over a completely different genre and style and practice of tango, it works effortlessly. It's just a nice combination.  MARTIN: If you're just joining us, this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. We're talking about this year's Latin Grammy nominations with the host of NPR Music's ALT.LATINO podcast, Jasmine Garsd and Felix Contreras. Well, what about - are there other classical artists or established artists that got a nod this year? I think many people who follow the English Grammys will remember when Herbie Hancock won for - I think it was for best album, and people were, like, what?  CONTRERAS: Yeah. Yeah.   MARTIN: You know?   (SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)  GARSD: I think we